Explosive-engine.



A. I. CLARKE.

EXPLOSIVB ENGINE. APPLICATION rILnn um. 14', 1906.

' 929,554; Patented July 27, 1909.

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UNITED s'rATns PATENT sine.

ARTHUR F. CLARKE, OF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA.

EXPLOSIVE -ENG-INE To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR F. CLARKE, a a

State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to explosive engines, and its primary object is to provide a cylinder head of novel construction whereby the clearing of the cylinder of the spent charge will be insured.

A further object of the invention is to provide a semi-spherical cylinder head whereby a strong and durable construction is afforded with the minimum thickness of metal.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a cylinder so constructed as to avoid counter-boring the cylinder adjacent to the end of the path of travel of the piston.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cylinder with water passages so disposed as to insure the cooling of the cylinder at the head and adjacent to the point where the explosion takes place.

The invention also includes various features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawing, and particularly set forth in the appended claim.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section of an explosive engine, constructed in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the cylinder, with onehalf of the cylinder head cut away. Fig. 3 is a top plan of the cylinder head removed, and Fig. 4 is a sectional detail on line XX Fig. 1 looking toward the cylinder head.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 denotes the engine cylinder provided with a water space 2 substantially surrounding the same and constituting a water acket Upon the top of the cylinder 1 and above the water space 2 is a longitudinally extending inlet passage 4 for the explosive mixture, the outer wa ll of the water space2con stituting the inner wall of the inlet passage 4. Inclosing the two sides and the top of the inlet passage 4 is a water passage 8 which is closed at its rear end and has its forward end open. The cyl-- inder head is indicated by the reference character 6 and is provided with a water space 5 constituting a water acket, the water space 5 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 14, 1906.

Patented July 27', 1909.

Serial No. 330,523.

at its upper end communicates with the water passage 3 and at its lower end opens into the water space 2. The water space 2 is pro-. vided with inlets 7 and 8 and the water passage 3 with an outlet 9 and with the outlet and inlets communicate suitable pipes (not shown) for discharging and supplying water from and to the jack ets.

iVithin the water passage 2 adjacent to the water inlet 7 is provided a deflector 10 projecting from the outer surface of the inner wall 11 of the cylinder and extending approximately half way around the cylinder or spanning the lower half thereof. The function of the deflector is to direct the inflowing current of water toward the cylinder head, and around that part of the cylinder in which the explosion occurs. The entire area of the water passages 2 and 3 is also filled with water but the deflector causes a quicker and more thorough circulation of water around the front end of the cylinder where the cooling action is most required.

The cylinder head 6 is of semi-spherical formto present the rounded surface 12 below and around the point of ignition. This feature of the improved construction is one of great importance for the reason that it provides a rounded deflecting surface to facilitate the rapid expulsion of the spent charges through the exhaust port 13 when the piston moves past said port. A further advantage of the semi-spherical head is that it insures great strength and durability with the least thickness or amountof metal.

As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the head 6 is of slightly larger diameter than the body of the piston, so that the end 14 of the latter adjacent to the head projects over the inner end of the head. The purpose of this construction is to avoid counter-boring the end of the cylinder, which is commonly done to prevent the formation of a shoulder on the inner face of the cylinder by the frictional movement thereon of the piston rings 15 carried by the piston 16. It will be noted that the forward piston rings project into the space 17 within the cylinder head, and this space serves the purpose of the counterbored space ordinarily provided in cylinders formed with a series of downwardly inclined openings 22, which divide the inflowing gas into jets to insure a thorough admixture or the air and gas.

The valve 28 for controlling the admission or" the explosive mixture through the cylinder head, is disposed vertically within a suitable casing 24-, and its stem 25 extends through a guide 26 supported within the casing.

A suitable oil-cup 27 is arranged centrally of the cylinder and extends through a suit-- able opening to convey oil to the interior of the cylinder to lubricate the piston.

The operation of the engine constructed as thus described is as follows: The initial movement of the piston is effected by an explosion of gasolene or in a small engine, by hand, and the rearward movement of the piston drives out the air in the cylinder. The return movement opens the inlet alve by suction and the admitted mixture is then forced by the piston along the fluid passage e to the cylinder head, the valve 23 opening automatically. The further movement of the piston compresses the charge which is then exploded by a suitable igniter, arranged within the igniter opening 28 in the cylinder head. The piston will then continue to operate compressing the charge ahead of it and forcing the infiowing charge through the passage 4 under the force of the explosion. Then the piston recedes from the cylinder head the spent charge follows the rearward movement of the piston and passes out through the exhaust port 13. Any portion of the spent charge which remains by reason of its lacking sutlicient pressure to pass through the exnaust port, will be blown out by a portion of the incoming'charge when the piston passes the exhaust port. The rounded or spherical contour of the head makes this clearing of the cylinder thorough and complete, so that there will be no admixture of the spent charge with the incoming charge to be compressed. This insures an effective explosion and the consequent steady and quick reciprocation of the piston. The location of the valve 23 in a vertical relation to the spherical head contributes materially to this effective clearing of the cylinder with a very small loss of explosive mixture, the quantity of fluid necessary for blowing out the remnant of spent fumes being relatively very small.

hat I claim and desire to secure byv Letters Patent, is

In an explosive engine, the combination with a cylinder having a water acket substantially surrounding the same, said cylinder provided with a vertical offset extending longitudinally with respect to the cylinder and constituting an inlet passage for an explosive mixture exteriorly of said water jacket, said cylinder further provided with means toform a water passage inclosing the sides and top of said inlet passage, said water passage independent of the water space formed by the said water jacket, a semi-spherical head having a water space communicating at one end with said water passage and at its other end with said water jacket, said water jacket provided with an inlet, said water passage provided with an outlet, and a deflector within said water jacket and adjacent to said inlet and adapted to deflect the water into the water space in the cylinder lead.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR F. CLARKE. lVitnesses A. J. Truce, SAMUEL PAYNE. 

